1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to anti-theft devices for vehicles and more particularly, provides a lock assembly for an anti-theft vehicle device which is operable remotely from the interior of the vehicle in which it is installed. The lock assembly is constructed to effect locking of the vehicle's hood and suppression of the vehicle's ignition system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicle theft prevention systems include components intended to provide protection and warnings against any unauthorized attempts to gain access to the vehicle for the purpose of theft, either of the vehicle or the contents of the interior thereof. Many types of visual and audible alarms are provided which are triggered by breaking windows, tampering with ignition systems or by causing the vehicle to be moved. Frequently used methods of stealing vehicles involve starting of the vehicle either by crossing of the ignition wires or by gaining access to the interior of the engine compartment and manipulating the ignition system therefrom.
Hood latches are customarily provided to assure that the normally spring biased hood will not accidentally open during the operation of the vehicle. Such latches typically include a latch lever on the hood that engages a catch or keeper member located in the interior of the engine compartment. The latch lever is spring biased to be normally engaged with the keeper and can be actuated from the exterior of the vehicle or by a cable that extends into the passenger compartment through the firewall and dashboard of the vehicle, terminating in a handle. Manipulation of the handle, such as by pulling thereon, will cause the latch lever to be fully or partially disengaged from its keeper and the hood is either fully released or enabled for release by an operator from the exterior of the vehicle.
The conventional hood latch and the release apparatus have become a weak link in the chain of protection presently available against theft of the vehicle and/or various operating components located within the engine compartment. This is because access to the hood handle within the passenger compartment and, consequently, access to the interior of the engine compartment, can be achieved rather easily by merely breaking a window of the vehicle, forceably unlocking a door of the vehicle, or any other mode of entry. Moreover, if a hood latch is employed that is actuable from the exterior of the vehicle, access to the engine compartment is readily available.
Ignition suppression systems have also been developed that disable the ignition system of the vehicle. Such systems are typically activated and deactivated by a keyed switch mechanism that can be positioned within the interior of the vehicle or can be accessible from the exterior of the vehicle by a user to prevent unauthorized starting of the vehicle. However, if access to the engine compartment is not deterred, these systems themselves can be disabled.
Vehicle theft prevention systems have also been designed to incorporate both a positive locking of a vehicle hood and an ignition suppression system and/or various types of alarm and motion detector devices. Such systems, however, normally require the use of a key member to lock and unlock the vehicle's hood and to activate and deactivate the ignition suppression system.
It is desirable that additional precautions be taken against vehicle theft. One precaution would be to prevent the release of the vehicle hood by utilizing a positive hood lock assembly that can be manually activated to lock the hood or the hood latch and simultaneously provide suppression of the ignition system upon actuation of the lock assembly without the need of a key member. Such an assembly would be operable from within the passenger compartment, and could preferably only be deactivated with the use of a restricted distribution key or the like.